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Monday, 28 August 2017

Today started with a visit to Landguard hoping for some migrants and we found only three Wheatear, two Yellow Wagtails and four Lesser Whitethroats for our trouble. As we headed home the pager bleeped with news of a Pied Flycatcher in motorcycle wood so we carried on down the M11 and into Wanstead. With bumped into Nick and John on site and after some time John located the Pied Fly and we all managed decent views as it caught flies in the company of a Spotted Flycatcher.Year list now 255

Sunday, 27 August 2017

If there's one bird the wife enjoys seeing it has to be Red Kites so today when I mentioned I'd be driving around the 25 to Staines and taking in the Red Kites up the A40 she said she'd tag along and she was pleased she did as we enjoyed great views of several Kites.

Red Kite

Red Kite

What a bird!

What a bird and what a success story in terms of reintroduction.

First stop today though was Staines were I picked up a late year tick with Black Tern and also found Common Sandpiper, Avocet, Sanderling and dozens of Pied Wagtails to add interest.

Then came the real highlight as we headed up the A40 to enjoy some fantastic Kites both in flight and sitting on top of the trees. They were calling each other and would take to the skies at regular intervals. Some times you get out there and the birds just seem to perform for you and today was without doubt one of those days.

Saturday, 26 August 2017

The juvenile Robins visiting the garden are now slowly moulting into Adult plumage. I had five different birds feeding today at various stages of moult with the Adult birds looking quite drab at this time of year.

I started my day on the heath at Dunwich enjoying the runrise in the company of the many Dartford Warblers that have made the heath their home. They seem to have had another good year.

Dartford Warbler on Dunwich Heath

Down on the reserve at Minsmere it was clear there was a build up of migrants already. Several Lesser Whitethroat showed well as I walked through North bushes and the Bearded Tits showed well along North wall. Yellow Wagtails were all over the place and Willow Warblers were also well represented.

Bearded Tit at Minsmere

Bearded Tit at Minsmere

On the Scrape I found a Little Stint in with fifty or so Dunlin and twenty or more Ringed Plover. There must have been at least twenty Spotted Redshank around the reserve and several Ruff. Two Greenshank and over a hundred Blackwits were also notable along with at least two each of Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers. Two Little Gulls sat in the Black-headed roost and both Whinchat and Wheatear were seen by the sluice along with more Willow Warblers and Lesser Whitethroat.

Dunlin and Ringed Plover (spot the other bird)

Dartford Warbler

On the way back down the A12 I stopped at Abberton where the Jims had both the Pec Sand and Red-necked Phalarope lined up in the scope for me making them a nice easy pair of ticks even if somewhat distant.

Wednesday, 23 August 2017

Jim needed Caspian Tern for a life tick so we headed north this morning to the small village of Potter Heigham. We parked by the church and walked up the lane and then down the hedge line towards the trees. A quick walk through the trees and we arrived at the footpath. Turning East (right) we walked through the gate and arrived at the hide to find the Caspian Tern flying around behind the scrape.

Caspian Tern Rush Hill Scrape Potter Heigham

Caspo dropping in

Massive!

Distant but great scope views!

A very obvious large bird with a very obvious large red bill. After a while the bird came back in and landed at the back of the scrape giving great scope views. Also on the scrape were a Little Stint with a few Dunlin, Green and Common Sandpiper, Avocets, Ruff, Blackwits, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Lapwing.

We left after a couple of hours and dipped Swallowtail Butterfly on the way home.

Sunday, 20 August 2017

A quick trip down to Dunge today rewarded me with a couple of year ticks.

Swallow at Dunge

Swallow

First I found three Black Redstarts between the lighthouse and Observatory then on the beach a local put me onto a Yellow-legged Gull although apart from that and the usual Terns the only other bird of note was a single Arctic Skua. Two Peregrines hunted around the power station and took a pigeon whilst I watched them taking the kill back to the pilons to eat.

Peregrine

Hundreds of Swallows and Sandmartins sat on the wires along the back of Denge Marsh and I counted at least five Wheatear along with good numbers of Willow Warbler.

Sand Martin

Sand Martin

From Hanson hide I only found a couple of Ringed Plover and Common Sands along with Redshank, Lapwing, Blackwit, Ruff and Golden Plover on the wader count.

So two year ticks taking the year list to a pretty low mid August total of just 249.

Sunday, 13 August 2017

Another visit to Oare Marsh today in order for Jim to connect with the Dowitcher.
We arrived at about 7am and with the sun in our face from the path we walked up to the sea wall and quickly found the Bonaparte's Gull out on the mud to the east of the slipway. Whimbrel, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone added to the list here before we walked around the wall to view the East flood from the East with the sun behind us.

The Dowitcher was showing well from here and gave great scope views as it walked up the edge of the reeds before flying out to join the Blackwits and roost. Two Curlew Sands and a pair of Spotshanks, Ruff , Dunlin, LRP and Snipe added to the wader count. A few Yellow Wagtails were present and Bearded Tit "pinged" as we stood watching the Dowitcher.
Back at the road and we added Common Sand and Little Stint to the day list before setting off for Elmley which was a total disappointment with zero water and zero birds!

Wednesday, 9 August 2017

A meeting in Orpington today put me close enough to Oare to try for the LB Dowitcher that returned yesterday.
I arrived at 4.30 in the rain and scanned the hundreds of waders finding Blackwits, Avocet, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Spotshank, Knot, Snipe and Little Stint before eventually getting a shout from another guy that had located the Dowitcher in the far North East corner of East flood.

The drive home was a nightmare in heavy rain with the M25 and A2 being a real mess but I somehow cut through the traffic and made it home in about 90 minutes.

Tried for and failed "Dipped"

About Me

Essex Birder using the blog as a diary of my trips around the country chasing birds. Enjoying the places it takes me and the people I meet along the way. Great to spend time with my Dad and brother as we chase our year lists and grow our life list in the process.